Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-175966A discloses a coating method of forming a resist film on a substrate. The coating method includes a solvent supplying step and a chemical supplying step. In the solvent supplying step, a solvent is dropped to the substrate. More specifically, in the solvent supplying step, the solvent is dropped to a center portion of the substrate at rest. In the solvent supplying step, after the solvent is dropped, the solvent is scattered by rotation of the substrate. In the chemical supplying step, the substrate is rotated while a chemical (specifically, a resist film material) is dropped onto the substrate. In the chemical supplying step, after the chemical is dropped, the chemical is scattered by rotation of the substrate.
As noted above, the coating method includes the solvent supplying step. Accordingly, the chemical supplying step allows the chemical to spread concentrically. In other words, the chemical supplying step allows prevention of the chemical from spreading toward a part of a peripheral portion of the substrate in an elongated manner. Consequently, air bubbles between the substrate and the chemical are avoidable.